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luluwoohoo's reviews
470 reviews
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅
Murder mystery meets fantasy in one of the most inventive, riveting books I've come across in a good while!
The combo genre isn't one I've come across before but I found myself loving it. The worldbuilding is uniquely detailed and, at times, a bit of a struggle to keep up with (mostly ranks and other such terms - a glossary and character list would have helped) but proved to be the greatest strength of this novel. The focus on plants as a means to enhance and manipulate was interesting and well explained. I do hope future books in the series give more details on the process involving enhancement and alterations.
The two lead characters are both really enjoyable to read. Ana is eccentric, witty, brusque and everything you expect of a Holmes-style investigator. Her strange habits demand the necessity of Din, a serious and decidedly green engraver, who acts as her eyes and ears. Their banter is wonderfully funny and I enjoyed the growth of their relationship as the novel went on. The side characters were all interesting too (even if I sometimes mixed them up)
The writing is easy to tear through when combined with a decent pace. I was captivated from the first chapter and found the pacing overall quite well managed amongst the hefty worldbuilding and red herrings to sift through for the final reveal.
I loved reading this and cannot wait for the second book to come out in a few months. It's a triumph of fantasy AND mystery that shouldn't be ignored.
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅
Murder mystery meets fantasy in one of the most inventive, riveting books I've come across in a good while!
The combo genre isn't one I've come across before but I found myself loving it. The worldbuilding is uniquely detailed and, at times, a bit of a struggle to keep up with (mostly ranks and other such terms - a glossary and character list would have helped) but proved to be the greatest strength of this novel. The focus on plants as a means to enhance and manipulate was interesting and well explained. I do hope future books in the series give more details on the process involving enhancement and alterations.
The two lead characters are both really enjoyable to read. Ana is eccentric, witty, brusque and everything you expect of a Holmes-style investigator. Her strange habits demand the necessity of Din, a serious and decidedly green engraver, who acts as her eyes and ears. Their banter is wonderfully funny and I enjoyed the growth of their relationship as the novel went on. The side characters were all interesting too (even if I sometimes mixed them up)
The writing is easy to tear through when combined with a decent pace. I was captivated from the first chapter and found the pacing overall quite well managed amongst the hefty worldbuilding and red herrings to sift through for the final reveal.
I loved reading this and cannot wait for the second book to come out in a few months. It's a triumph of fantasy AND mystery that shouldn't be ignored.
"Civilisation is often a task that is only barely managed. But harden your heart and slow your blood. The towers of justice are built one brick at a time. We have more to build yet."
Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.25
Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland
☀️☀️☀️🌥️
Copeland is a meteoric force of dance, and this biography details her rise to fame, but it didn't really do justice to her career and impact.
The story of Misty Copeland is the quintessential rags-to-riches tale - growing up poor and without access to the arts, some integral adults saw her potential and thrust her into the path of greatness. That isn't to dismiss her hard work, which is impressive and inspirational, particularly later in her career recovering from injury.
The structure and timeline are, at times, messy, particularly the years growing up and going from home to home. I appreciate that Misty is a good soul but there are aspects of her life and career she is too forgiving or dismissive of, namely her mother's abusive partners. I also struggled with her casual addressing of eating disorders (including her own) - I didn't necessarily expect her to spend pages on this, but it didn't feel like she's accepted the severity of that time in her life.
The writing is so-so, simple and quite repetitive. I wasn't a fan of the lyrics scattered throughout.
This was a decent biography. It would have benefitted from a stronger editor or a co-writer to elevate the story to something as compelling as the content itself.
☀️☀️☀️🌥️
Copeland is a meteoric force of dance, and this biography details her rise to fame, but it didn't really do justice to her career and impact.
The story of Misty Copeland is the quintessential rags-to-riches tale - growing up poor and without access to the arts, some integral adults saw her potential and thrust her into the path of greatness. That isn't to dismiss her hard work, which is impressive and inspirational, particularly later in her career recovering from injury.
The structure and timeline are, at times, messy, particularly the years growing up and going from home to home. I appreciate that Misty is a good soul but there are aspects of her life and career she is too forgiving or dismissive of, namely her mother's abusive partners. I also struggled with her casual addressing of eating disorders (including her own) - I didn't necessarily expect her to spend pages on this, but it didn't feel like she's accepted the severity of that time in her life.
The writing is so-so, simple and quite repetitive. I wasn't a fan of the lyrics scattered throughout.
This was a decent biography. It would have benefitted from a stronger editor or a co-writer to elevate the story to something as compelling as the content itself.
"A dancer's body is the instrument with which she makes music, the loom with which she weaves magic. But we take our bodies to places they would never naturally go. We make them fly, dance on tiptoe, whirl like a dervish. We subject ourselves to unbelievable strain. And sometimes we stumble. Or break."
The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman's Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster by Sarah Krasnostein
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
The Trauma Cleaner by Sarah Krasnostein
☀️☀️☀️☀️
This biography examines the complex and varied life of a transgender woman who spends her time giving people the sort of help she was never offered.
The book features two narratives side by side - Sandra's life story, told mostly chronologically, interspersed with the real life homes she visits to clean and help people. The service she provides cannot be overstated: for both the living and the dead Sandra offers compassion, dedication and perfectionist tendencies to endure their possessions and homes are returned to a pleasant and comfortable state for them or their loved ones.
Sandra is a complicated, ever-changing person and a self-reported unreliable narrator. She was born a boy, shunned and abused by her family as a child, married and had children prior to transitioning, and has lived several lives since then. Her determination to be her true self and to survive is brilliant to read about. One of my closest family members is so alike that reading this feels particularly important.
Krasnostein employs an easy to read writing style which makes the dual narratives simple to follow along with. Her lyrical similes and metaphors elevate the quality and make this a more emotionally engaged piece, which is vital for the subject matter.
I was really taken by this book. The backdrop of regional Australia was already a big drawcard, but Sandra's story was one I connected with regardless of its unreliability. The exploration of her life, as well as the realities of her current job, both gelled to form a fascinating book.
☀️☀️☀️☀️
This biography examines the complex and varied life of a transgender woman who spends her time giving people the sort of help she was never offered.
The book features two narratives side by side - Sandra's life story, told mostly chronologically, interspersed with the real life homes she visits to clean and help people. The service she provides cannot be overstated: for both the living and the dead Sandra offers compassion, dedication and perfectionist tendencies to endure their possessions and homes are returned to a pleasant and comfortable state for them or their loved ones.
Sandra is a complicated, ever-changing person and a self-reported unreliable narrator. She was born a boy, shunned and abused by her family as a child, married and had children prior to transitioning, and has lived several lives since then. Her determination to be her true self and to survive is brilliant to read about. One of my closest family members is so alike that reading this feels particularly important.
Krasnostein employs an easy to read writing style which makes the dual narratives simple to follow along with. Her lyrical similes and metaphors elevate the quality and make this a more emotionally engaged piece, which is vital for the subject matter.
I was really taken by this book. The backdrop of regional Australia was already a big drawcard, but Sandra's story was one I connected with regardless of its unreliability. The exploration of her life, as well as the realities of her current job, both gelled to form a fascinating book.
"Though it must feel like a catacomb in that dark hour, and though every hour behind these blinds has been dark, the house is spinning with movement: mould is travelling up and down the walls, food is rotting, cans are rusting, water is dripping, insects are being born and they are living and dying, Janice's hair is growing, her heart is beating, she is breathing. Which is to say that this, too, is life. Like the creatures that swim in the perfect blackness of the ocean floor, the ecosystem here would be unrecognisable to most people but this, too, is our world. The Order of Things includes those who are excluded."
Claus and Effect by Piper Rayne
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Claus and Effect by Piper Rayne
☀️☀️🌥️
A wacky, out-there premise that had promise and potential but failed to launch.
I initially enjoyed how ridiculous and unbelievable the scenarios were that brought the main characters together, but after their road trip began the pacing was completely out of whack. I enjoyed the Christmas tie-ins throughout, and certain scenes worked better than others, but ultimately the problem is that their chemistry wasn't there and due to the aforementioned pacing issue, their relationship went from 0 to 100 at the end of the book with little thought or planning. The twist was admittedly something I did not see coming but I wasn't very satisfied with the simple conclusion of that arc either. I skimmed to the end just to find out what happened and I can say I more than likely won't remember this book.
☀️☀️🌥️
A wacky, out-there premise that had promise and potential but failed to launch.
I initially enjoyed how ridiculous and unbelievable the scenarios were that brought the main characters together, but after their road trip began the pacing was completely out of whack. I enjoyed the Christmas tie-ins throughout, and certain scenes worked better than others, but ultimately the problem is that their chemistry wasn't there and due to the aforementioned pacing issue, their relationship went from 0 to 100 at the end of the book with little thought or planning. The twist was admittedly something I did not see coming but I wasn't very satisfied with the simple conclusion of that arc either. I skimmed to the end just to find out what happened and I can say I more than likely won't remember this book.
"All I know is that I want to spend my life with someone, and I hope that one day every love song on the radio makes sense, and every romantic comedy confirms that my heart is right. Most of all, I hope I fall hard, and if it breaks me, if he breaks me, at least I’ll know I didn’t give up. I just can’t help but think that after all the shit I’ve been through, I’m meant to find where I belong, and when I do, I’ll do everything I can not to fuck it up.”
The Geek Who Saved Christmas by Annabeth Albert
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Geek Who Saved Christmas by Annabeth Albert
☀️☀️☀️☀️
This cheery, heartwarming Christmas romance ticks all of the holiday read boxes!
I had all of the warm fuzzy feelings reading this book. The plot is a unique take on forcing our MC's together, and one that feels believable in the context of the story. The pacing is really well done with their romantic progression not feeling too fast, and the minor episodes of miscommunication (which is my biggest gripe in books) actually felt authentic and natural.
Gideon and Paul are both well developed characters in their own right. Gideon is a breath of fresh air with his cheery disposition and well honed organisation skills. These qualities are perfectly balanced by Paul, who is much more pragmatic and quiet. Their age and maturity made for a wonderful comforting read that didn't fall into the pitfalls of young lovers making dumb decisions. Their sexual chemistry was really well done also.
This book was such a pleasant surprise to add to my December reading repertoire! I had a lovely time and would recommend it to anyone wanting a fun and fulfilling holiday read.
☀️☀️☀️☀️
This cheery, heartwarming Christmas romance ticks all of the holiday read boxes!
I had all of the warm fuzzy feelings reading this book. The plot is a unique take on forcing our MC's together, and one that feels believable in the context of the story. The pacing is really well done with their romantic progression not feeling too fast, and the minor episodes of miscommunication (which is my biggest gripe in books) actually felt authentic and natural.
Gideon and Paul are both well developed characters in their own right. Gideon is a breath of fresh air with his cheery disposition and well honed organisation skills. These qualities are perfectly balanced by Paul, who is much more pragmatic and quiet. Their age and maturity made for a wonderful comforting read that didn't fall into the pitfalls of young lovers making dumb decisions. Their sexual chemistry was really well done also.
This book was such a pleasant surprise to add to my December reading repertoire! I had a lovely time and would recommend it to anyone wanting a fun and fulfilling holiday read.
"I had waited years for Paul Frost to need something. A cup of sugar. A spare fan. An extra chair. He probably had me beat in the tool department, but I did have a drill I was rather fond of. And I would have let him use it. But this, this was even better. He needed something I was good at, and finally getting the chance to impress him with something other than my knack for forgetting the trash cans had me all bouncy."
A Festive Feud by Maren Moore
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
Secondhand embarrassment for adults acting like spoiled children
The Mistletoe Bet by Maren Moore
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The Mistletoe Bet by Maren Moore
☀️☀️
While not objectively bad, this novella does little more than string together some perfectly pleasant Christmassy moments with bland, predictable characters who tick the obvious boxes from beginning to end. I didn't connect with any of the characters and found the relationship uninspiring. The obstacles weren't ever really believable and nothing surprising or interesting took place. I often enjoy predictable books but they still require a degree of creativity and ingenuity to be worth reading and unfortunately this did not attempt to move beyond the generic.
☀️☀️
While not objectively bad, this novella does little more than string together some perfectly pleasant Christmassy moments with bland, predictable characters who tick the obvious boxes from beginning to end. I didn't connect with any of the characters and found the relationship uninspiring. The obstacles weren't ever really believable and nothing surprising or interesting took place. I often enjoy predictable books but they still require a degree of creativity and ingenuity to be worth reading and unfortunately this did not attempt to move beyond the generic.
“You know what, Quinn?” Parker says, closing the space he just put between us. “I bet you, right here, right now, that if you give me these seven days you’re home, I can make you fall in love with Christmas all over again.”
Only One Bed by Keira Andrews
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Only One Bed by Kiera Andrews
☀️☀️☀️🌤️
This tropey Christmas romance was short, sweet and sexy!
Despite being a novella I was pleasantly surprised by how much backstory and worldbuilding was included. It didn't overtake the narrative but the backdrop of competitive ice dancing and the inclusion of Sam's family both contributed to a well rounded story. It helped drag out some tension until the couple got together which I appreciated.
The romance itself was cute - best friends to lovers isn't a trope I read a lot but I liked how it was portrayed here. I would have liked a bit more development in Sam's realisation but within such a limited page count I was still happy enough with how it panned out. The back and forth with doubting things got a bit repetitive too. Their chemistry was great and I appreciated the depiction of normal bodies throughout.
I really enjoyed this little story and look forward to reading about Sam's brother Henry in the next instalment.
☀️☀️☀️🌤️
This tropey Christmas romance was short, sweet and sexy!
Despite being a novella I was pleasantly surprised by how much backstory and worldbuilding was included. It didn't overtake the narrative but the backdrop of competitive ice dancing and the inclusion of Sam's family both contributed to a well rounded story. It helped drag out some tension until the couple got together which I appreciated.
The romance itself was cute - best friends to lovers isn't a trope I read a lot but I liked how it was portrayed here. I would have liked a bit more development in Sam's realisation but within such a limited page count I was still happy enough with how it panned out. The back and forth with doubting things got a bit repetitive too. Their chemistry was great and I appreciated the depiction of normal bodies throughout.
I really enjoyed this little story and look forward to reading about Sam's brother Henry in the next instalment.
"What if he liked someone else and was afraid to tell me? Even though the thought of him and another guy was a punch right in the balls, he was my best friend. I loved him. I couldn’t let him be afraid."
A Merry Little Meet Cute by Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
☀️☀️🌤️
An equally sweet and sexy concept that got too weighed down in a hefty page count to stick the desired landing.
The setup of this story was fabulous - strong, succinct, well developed. But as soon as the second act started it steadily went downhill. The story lost all momentum and felt like it was hitting obligatory story beats rather than having a natural progression of things. The unnecessary double reveal made everything take too long, especially considering the romantic relationship was fast tracked due to their previous crushes on each other. Without that tension to guide us along the whole thing just felt blah.
The chemistry between the MCs was decent, but the aforementioned mutual crushes weakened their developing relationship for me. Individually Bee was the more interesting, stronger character, so I preferred her POV in general. When it came to their backstories, Bee's secret at least made sense to keep hidden, but Nolan's was strange and quite frankly a bad portrayal of bipolar.
For a book of 400+ pages I would expect better depth of character and more interesting sub plots than we got. If this was ~250 pages of simpler Christmassy goodness I think it would have been far improved, but in its current state I was skimming through and left wanting more out of the inflated page count.
☀️☀️🌤️
An equally sweet and sexy concept that got too weighed down in a hefty page count to stick the desired landing.
The setup of this story was fabulous - strong, succinct, well developed. But as soon as the second act started it steadily went downhill. The story lost all momentum and felt like it was hitting obligatory story beats rather than having a natural progression of things. The unnecessary double reveal made everything take too long, especially considering the romantic relationship was fast tracked due to their previous crushes on each other. Without that tension to guide us along the whole thing just felt blah.
The chemistry between the MCs was decent, but the aforementioned mutual crushes weakened their developing relationship for me. Individually Bee was the more interesting, stronger character, so I preferred her POV in general. When it came to their backstories, Bee's secret at least made sense to keep hidden, but Nolan's was strange and quite frankly a bad portrayal of bipolar.
For a book of 400+ pages I would expect better depth of character and more interesting sub plots than we got. If this was ~250 pages of simpler Christmassy goodness I think it would have been far improved, but in its current state I was skimming through and left wanting more out of the inflated page count.
"Christmas movies couldn’t be that hard to make, right? They were almost like porn. The scripts were on the flimsy side and the production times were shorter than a community college wintermester."
The Christmas Veto by Keira Andrews
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The Christmas Veto by Kiera Andrews
☀️☀️⛅
This Christmas romance had lots of potential but relied too heavily on uninspiring tropes to carry the story.
I knew going into this that it was the third book in a series but could be read as a standalone. What I didn't realise was that the first two books also involved fake dating, which is unrealistic at the best of times but utterly ridiculous to have multiple people in the same family doing the same trope.
My biggest gripe is that the book tried a bit too hard to set up the romance as inevitable and chemistry-laden, neither of which is true. The progression of the relationship was rushed and underdeveloped. The jump straight into dating without any actual discussion was weird.
Connor was the only character I really connected to but his reluctance to come out wasn't given enough explanation to be believable. The rest felt one dimensional and forgettable.
I mostly skimmed to the end of this to see if it stuck the landing, which it almost did, but I personally wouldn't recommend this as a Christmas romance due to the lack of time and care taken with the romance itself.
☀️☀️⛅
This Christmas romance had lots of potential but relied too heavily on uninspiring tropes to carry the story.
I knew going into this that it was the third book in a series but could be read as a standalone. What I didn't realise was that the first two books also involved fake dating, which is unrealistic at the best of times but utterly ridiculous to have multiple people in the same family doing the same trope.
My biggest gripe is that the book tried a bit too hard to set up the romance as inevitable and chemistry-laden, neither of which is true. The progression of the relationship was rushed and underdeveloped. The jump straight into dating without any actual discussion was weird.
Connor was the only character I really connected to but his reluctance to come out wasn't given enough explanation to be believable. The rest felt one dimensional and forgettable.
I mostly skimmed to the end of this to see if it stuck the landing, which it almost did, but I personally wouldn't recommend this as a Christmas romance due to the lack of time and care taken with the romance itself.
"Her gaze swept over us all, and if I could read minds hers would probably say, 'Look at this bullshit I have to deal with. Remember when everyone was white and straight and had respectably old money?'"